OK the Muse is biting this week [pic]
You cruel people wanting me to hurt Harper [pic]
Chapter 8 - Rating and disclaimers as before.
I started to move forward, I don't know what I thought I could do. I had some half-baked idea about either pushing Harper out of the way, or taking the round myself. Although what good that would have done him I don't know. They would have shot him again anyway and then both of us would have been hurt.
What stopped me was Rafe grabbing both my arms from behind and holding on to me. I tried to kick him without much success.
"Let go of me you bastard," I hissed at him. He just laughed. He was doing a lot of laughing. I wondered if he was high on something.
Harper stood there with his eyes closed, waiting for one of Zeus's goons to shoot him. Zeus nodded to the bodyguard standing to the left of him. The Nietzschean powered up his weapon and fired. The round took Harper high on the left arm, the force of it knocking him to the deck. He opened his eyes shock written all over his face. He put his hand up to the wound and took it away covered in blood. When he saw the blood his eyes rolled and he passed out.
I tried to go over to him but Rafe wouldn't let me go. He was still laughing. The sound of it made me want to smash his face to a pulp.
The kid was lying on the deck, bleeding, his face was ashen. The wound didn't look that bad from where I was standing but appearances can be deceptive. Harper had only just recovered from a serious illness.
When Rafe finally released me I turned on Zeus. "You know something uber, I will never help you if you continue to hurt my staff. If you want me to co- operate you'll get me some medical supplies and let me treat my engineer."
Zeus smiled; his smile was most unpleasant. It was a shame because like all Nietzscheans he was extremely good looking. He drawled an order to one of the guards and the man left the room. Zeus looked long and hard at me. "You have fifteen minutes, then you will co-operate." He and the remaining guard departed. Rafe trotted along after them like a good little pet kludge should. As he left a medical kit was thrown through the door.
I bent down and started checking Harper's wound. It was painful looking and was still bleeding but it wasn't at all serious. As I was probing it he opened his eyes. He showed no signs of the confusion that would normally be present when waking from a state of unconsciousness.
He whispered to me. "Beka, don't say anything until I've finished, just nod or shake your head. I think they can hear us. I was just faking it a little, not that it doesn't hurt like hell it does, but I've had far worse." His eyes darkened at the memory. He hissed and drew his breath in sharply. "If you keep prodding my arm like that I will pass out. Now listen to me. If we have to leave this Drift to get that cargo make sure that we go in the Maru. I've left a little present in the computer for them and we do not want to be on board when they find it."
He gave me a little smile. I could see that he had questions to ask me. He was quick witted enough however, to realise that my comments about needing him to recover the cargo were designed to save his life.
I strapped his arm up and pulled him up to his feet. His face went even paler, if that were possible and he swayed slightly. I knew that it wasn't all an act, he'd lost a fair amount of blood the evidence of that was all over the deck.
Before I could explain any further Zeus returned. "Now Captain," he said a little sarcastically. "Where is my cargo."
I tried to sound as if I'd lost all hope. I think I succeeded in making my voce sound dejected and beaten. "I'll take you there," I said. "We will take my ship though." He seemed about to disagree with me.
"Don't argue with me please," I said wearily. "Where we are going we don't want to attract too much attention and a Dragan ship would most certainly do that."
He bowed to me and indicated that I should lead the way. I put a protective arm round Harper's uninjured shoulder and we were on our way.
As we approached the Maru I could only hope that Trance and Rev had seen us coming and that they would manage to hide somewhere on board. The Nietzscheans wouldn't know how many crew I had and I hadn't seen Rafe in years.
Zeus stopped and looked the Maru over. He actually laughed out loud. "At least the Captain is in better condition than the ship." I really did not care for the way he was looking at me. It was going to be a long journey.
You cruel people wanting me to hurt Harper [pic]
Chapter 8 - Rating and disclaimers as before.
I started to move forward, I don't know what I thought I could do. I had some half-baked idea about either pushing Harper out of the way, or taking the round myself. Although what good that would have done him I don't know. They would have shot him again anyway and then both of us would have been hurt.
What stopped me was Rafe grabbing both my arms from behind and holding on to me. I tried to kick him without much success.
"Let go of me you bastard," I hissed at him. He just laughed. He was doing a lot of laughing. I wondered if he was high on something.
Harper stood there with his eyes closed, waiting for one of Zeus's goons to shoot him. Zeus nodded to the bodyguard standing to the left of him. The Nietzschean powered up his weapon and fired. The round took Harper high on the left arm, the force of it knocking him to the deck. He opened his eyes shock written all over his face. He put his hand up to the wound and took it away covered in blood. When he saw the blood his eyes rolled and he passed out.
I tried to go over to him but Rafe wouldn't let me go. He was still laughing. The sound of it made me want to smash his face to a pulp.
The kid was lying on the deck, bleeding, his face was ashen. The wound didn't look that bad from where I was standing but appearances can be deceptive. Harper had only just recovered from a serious illness.
When Rafe finally released me I turned on Zeus. "You know something uber, I will never help you if you continue to hurt my staff. If you want me to co- operate you'll get me some medical supplies and let me treat my engineer."
Zeus smiled; his smile was most unpleasant. It was a shame because like all Nietzscheans he was extremely good looking. He drawled an order to one of the guards and the man left the room. Zeus looked long and hard at me. "You have fifteen minutes, then you will co-operate." He and the remaining guard departed. Rafe trotted along after them like a good little pet kludge should. As he left a medical kit was thrown through the door.
I bent down and started checking Harper's wound. It was painful looking and was still bleeding but it wasn't at all serious. As I was probing it he opened his eyes. He showed no signs of the confusion that would normally be present when waking from a state of unconsciousness.
He whispered to me. "Beka, don't say anything until I've finished, just nod or shake your head. I think they can hear us. I was just faking it a little, not that it doesn't hurt like hell it does, but I've had far worse." His eyes darkened at the memory. He hissed and drew his breath in sharply. "If you keep prodding my arm like that I will pass out. Now listen to me. If we have to leave this Drift to get that cargo make sure that we go in the Maru. I've left a little present in the computer for them and we do not want to be on board when they find it."
He gave me a little smile. I could see that he had questions to ask me. He was quick witted enough however, to realise that my comments about needing him to recover the cargo were designed to save his life.
I strapped his arm up and pulled him up to his feet. His face went even paler, if that were possible and he swayed slightly. I knew that it wasn't all an act, he'd lost a fair amount of blood the evidence of that was all over the deck.
Before I could explain any further Zeus returned. "Now Captain," he said a little sarcastically. "Where is my cargo."
I tried to sound as if I'd lost all hope. I think I succeeded in making my voce sound dejected and beaten. "I'll take you there," I said. "We will take my ship though." He seemed about to disagree with me.
"Don't argue with me please," I said wearily. "Where we are going we don't want to attract too much attention and a Dragan ship would most certainly do that."
He bowed to me and indicated that I should lead the way. I put a protective arm round Harper's uninjured shoulder and we were on our way.
As we approached the Maru I could only hope that Trance and Rev had seen us coming and that they would manage to hide somewhere on board. The Nietzscheans wouldn't know how many crew I had and I hadn't seen Rafe in years.
Zeus stopped and looked the Maru over. He actually laughed out loud. "At least the Captain is in better condition than the ship." I really did not care for the way he was looking at me. It was going to be a long journey.
